A traveler’s beloved dog that vanished after escaping from its Delta Airlines crate in Georgia was found safe and healthy Saturday — after spending more than three weeks on the lam.
Maia the chihuahua mix was found by a good Samaritan hiding beneath a cargo rack at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.
“I didn’t say a word and walked to the end of the rack and started scooting under it on my back. It was about 10 inches off the ground,” local animal activist Robin Cole Allgood said on Facebook.
“I got to her and she still hadn’t noticed I was behind her…I took a deep breath and just grabbed her around the waist without hesitating. The next thing I hear is someone yell ‘Robin’s got her!!!!’”
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Though tired, the canine appeared to be in good health and was taken to a vet for a full evaluation, the airline confirmed.
Maia had been missing since she darted out of her crate on Aug. 18 while her owner, Dominic Republic native Paula Rodriguez, was being questioned by border agents, her lawyer said.
Maia was found safe hiding at the Atlanta airport 24 days after she vanished from her crate.Facebook
Rodriguez was forced to return to her home country instead of her San Francisco destination over missing visa credentials — even as officials admitted her pet was nowhere to be found.
Delta offered Rodriguez $1,800 for the tragic incident, which the dog owner felt was an “insult” that couldn’t replace her cherished pet, her lawyer said.
That’s when Allgood stepped up to the task by posting signs around the airport for the missing dog, which turned out to be vital to Maia’s rescue.
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Robin Cole Allgood led the recovery efforts to bring Maia back home to her owner.Facebook
A FedEx cargo employee called Allgood at 2:30 a.m. Saturday to report seeing the pup the day before, prompting her to rush to the airport.
Allgood said the airport staff led her on multiple “wild goose chases” before finally escorting her to the North Cargo facility around 6 p.m.
By that time, the mother realized she was going to miss her flight to Hawaii with her family — but decided the vacation could wait another day, while the pup could not.
Maia was found hiding beneath the cargo racks at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.Facebook
“I couldn’t leave without finding Maia. I had promised Paula in the beginning I was going to find her!” Allgood said.
The group of airport workers and Allgood eventually discovered Maia hiding beneath outdoor cargo racks, but had difficulty reaching the frightened pooch.
Dozens of employees tried removing her from her narrow hiding spot with wildlife nets, long poles and barricades surrounding the spot.
But the efforts proved fruitless.
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“Everyone was standing around talking about what to do next…me being me decided I’m going for this dog,” Allgood recalled.
Although tired, Maia was found by a vet to be in incredible health.X / @ATLairport
She shimmied beneath the rack and successfully brought Maia to safety.
A veterinarian reportedly said the dog was in incredible shape considering she had been lost for 24 days in Atlanta’s blistering summer heat.
Remarkably, Maia’s paw pads suffered no heat damage, a suggestion that she may have only maneuvered through the airport grounds at night — which also explains why she had gone so long without being seen.
Maia will be returned to owner Paula Rodriguez in the Dominican Republic.Facebook
Maia’s owner is reportedly over the moon after hearing the good news and looks forward to being reunited with her cherished family member.
What next legal steps Rodriguez will take is unclear.
Her lawyer had been in talks with Delta in the aftermath of Maia’s disappearance, especially after the airline offered the $1,800 mishandling offer which it later defended, claiming it was not an “offer of compensation”
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The Rodriguez family spent an undisclosed amount of money and resources trying to find their beloved pet themselves.
Rodriguez’s mother flew to Atlanta herself to search for the lost pup after her daughter was denied entry into the country.
The Braves will be available to more in-market fans in 2025, in an interesting deal that seems like a good thing for fans. Having a broadcast TV option for in-market viewers is a pretty huge win, as not having to pay for a cable package while still being able to watch some Braves baseball is only going to expand the number of fans who can access Braves games this year. This represents a small loosening of the grip that the RSN/blackout zone era has had on access to watch local teams. Meanwhile, the rumor mill churns and we continue our season reviews.
Braves News
The Braves will be simulcasting 15 games over broadcast television in-market in 2025, in a deal with Gray Media.
Gaurav took a look at one of the bittersweet stories in the organization for 2024, as the big-bonus Ambioris Tavarez took meaningful steps forward in a small sample, but suffered from injury.
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MLB News
Braves’ legend (sarcasm) Griffin Canning reportedly agreed to a 1 year deal just north of $4 million with the division rival Mets.
Nolan Arenado reportedly used his no-trade clause to block a trade from the Cardinals to the Astros, but the teams are reportedly still in discussions.
Old friend Bryse Wilson signed a major league deal with the White Sox worth just over $1 million to compete for a rotation spot.
The Angels and White sox made a minor trade, as the White Sox sent catcher Chuckie Robinson for cash.
Atlanta is opening another housing complex for those who are homeless — the third such opening this year.
The latest reimagines the 1960s-era Atlanta Motel, which had sat deteriorating along Moreland Avenue right off I-20 in east Atlanta.
The 56 units, renovated by the developer Stryant, will be open to people considered chronically homeless, meaning they’ve been without a place for more than a year.
“This is a blueprint now on what’s possible, to take old hotels, old motels, turn them into studio apartment units in this growing city — to make sure no one is left behind,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Wednesday at the opening.
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The Atlanta Housing Authority is providing housing vouchers for the units, so residents pay no more than 30% of their income on rent. Fulton County has committed to providing supportive services.
This follows the opening of two similar complexes — the Melody downtown and 729 Bonaventure in Poncey-Highland.
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